SAMAL, Bataan — Farmers here on Tuesday asked that they be given subsidy for using water pumps either run by costly diesel fuel or electric power in the irrigation of their rice lands.
Farmer leader Rudy Bugay of Barangay Ibaba said that they could not understand why fishermen and drivers of public utility vehicles are granted fuel subsidy but farmers are not when many of them rely on diesel for their water pumps and hand tractors.
A liter of diesel now costs P62.39.
Bugay said some farmers recently received from the Department of Agriculture from P1,000 to P2,000 but they were informed that the amount was for farmers whose crops were affected by the typhoon.
“Nagtataka kami bakit ‘yong may water pump at saka mayroong tractor kuliglig walang nakuha. Ang paliwanag sa nasiraan lang daw ng bagyo kaya hindi na kami nagsalita ulit,” he said, noting that with the rising price of diesel and for lack of adequate funds, they are forced to lessen the number of times to irrigate their rice lands.
“Dahil mahal ang krudo, nagtitipid kaming magpaandar. Sa halip na dalawang beses o tatlong beses sa isang linggo kung tuyuin ang area mo, minsan dalawang beses lang, at kapag talagang wala nang laman ang bulsa mo eh napipilitan kang minsan sa isang linggo lang,” he said.
With inadequate irrigation, crops are greatly affected. “Nababansot ang palay hindi nakukuha ang talagang average na height niya at saka yung maturity niya kumbaga tulad ng batang kulang sa nutrisyon, nadu-dwarf.”
He said that government seemed not to be ready for climate change. “Alam naman nilang may climate change eh bakit lang nakakapagtaka lang sinasabi nila pinaghahandaan, naka-program pero pagdating ng akto wala naman.”
“Matitibay lang ang dibdib ng mga magsasaka dito dahil nga self-reliant lang sila sa krudo eh wala naman subsidy eh, wala naman tayong natural source ng tubig na pagkukunan kundi sa ilalim lang din ng lupa,” Bugay said.
He suggested that more solar-fed water pumps instead of diesel-fed ones be given to farmers. “Sa tingin ko mas malaki ang matitipid sa solar katulad niyan laging umaaraw at maliit ang tsansa ng ulan.”
